Eversible locking mechanism for modular stents

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for locking self-expanding modular stent components together using an eversible extension on the male component. The male component is deployed partially within the female component, and with the eversible extension eversed over the male component.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/446,687, filed Jun. 5, 2006, which is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/435,190, filed on May 9, 2003, now Abandoned, both of which are herein incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to luminal stents, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for providing a secure connection between components of a modular stent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modular stents are used to treat luminal defects in a human body. For example, a modular stent comprising an aortic bifurcate component and an iliac limb component may be used to bypass an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). In this exemplary modular stent, the aortic bifurcate component is a bifurcated female covered stent or stent-graft (sometimes referred to as a long leg-short leg) configured for placement in the aorta proximate the aortic bifurcation with a long leg extending into one of the iliac arteries and a short leg or stump extending into the other iliac artery. The iliac limb component is a male covered stent configured for placement in the iliac artery in which the short leg extends with its proximal end deployed within the short leg or stump. The stent in such combinations typically comprises an open framework or mesh of structural elements such as wires or thin metallic members, which may cross or intersect one another in various ways. In one such stent graft configuration, a braided stent is provided where opposing helical stent members overlap one another to form crossing intersections. Exemplary braided stents 10 are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,771 to Hans I. Wallsten, incorporated herein by reference. The braided stent is designed to be contracted radially for endoluminal placement into a patient and to self-expand radially into a configuration in which it urges the graft or covering against the wall of the body lumen in which it is disposed providing an open lumen. Using shape memory material for the braided stent members may provide this self-expansion. The graft in a stent-graft may be a covering or liner, disposed inside or outside of the stent and covering the stent to define a fluid passageway through the lumen of the stent.

It is important for the components of a modular stent to form a secure connection with each other to prevent relative movement of the components with respect to each other due to force exerted by blood flow, morphology of the lumen in which the modular stent is placed, or other factors. Also, with covered stents, if the connection is not sufficiently secure, these factors may cause leakage of bodily fluid between the modular components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a modular stent system is connected by an eversible extension on the male component of the modular stent system. An eversible extension is formed on the male component by continued braiding of stent members used to form a self-expanding stent in the male component. The eversible extension is eversed or folded back over the self-expanding stent and radially restrained in the eversed position. The eversible extension and self-expanding stent are at least partially introduced into a lumen of a female component of the modular stent with the eversible extension radially constrained in an eversed position. The eversible extension and self-expanding stent are released or allowed to self-expand against the inner surface of the female component, locking the modular components together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bifurcate female component of a modular stent-graft;

FIG. 2 is a male component of a modular stent-graft with an eversible extension according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of a delivery sheath constraining the male component of FIG. 2 showing the eversible extension constrained in an eversed position by the delivery sheath;

FIG. 4 is a partial cut-away view of the delivery sheath of FIG. 3 and male component of a modular stent-graft advanced into the female component of the modular stent-graft with the male component of the modular stent graft partially deployed within the female component; and

FIG. 5 shows a modular stent-graft in which the female component and male component are connected by the eversible extension of the male component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

While the applicant will describe the invention in connection with preferred and alternative embodiments, it should be understand that the invention is not limited to those embodiments. Furthermore, one should understand that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, the applicant may have omitted details that are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will next be described with reference to the figures wherein similar numbers indicate the same elements in all figures. Such figures are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting and are included herewith to facilitate the explanation of the apparatus of the present invention.

When used herein the following terms shall be understood to have the following meanings. The term proximal shall indicate a direction closer to a patient's heart, and the term distal shall indicate a direction farther from a patient's heart. The term stent shall indicate a generally tubular structural component for placement within a body lumen. The terms graft and covering shall indicate a flexible tubular member providing a passageway therethrough. The term stent-graft shall indicate a stent having a graft or covering attached thereto. Everse shall mean to roll or pivot a tubular member inside out.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a female component 30 and a male component 20, respectively, of a modular stent-graft, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Male component 20 is configured to be deployed partially within female component 30 to form the modular stent-graft. Female component 30 is a bifurcated covered stent having a trunk 31 in fluid communication with a long leg 32 and a short leg 33. Trunk 31 is configured for placement in an abdominal aorta, long leg 32 is configured for placement in a first iliac artery, and a short leg or iliac stub 33 is configured to extend into a second iliac artery. Male component 20 is an iliac limb configured to be deployed with its proximal end within the iliac stub 33 of the female component to form a modular stent-graft. Both, male component 20 and female component 30, comprise a self-expanding stent (not shown), preferably a braided stent with a graft or covering 24,34 attached thereto. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, covering 24 is lashed or stitched to the stent of male component 20 using a filament 22. While a modular stent-graft is illustrated and described, such as is used for treating an aneurysm, an uncovered modular stent system is contemplated within the scope of the present invention. An uncovered modular stent system, for example, might be used to treat stenosis. Also, while a braided self-expanding stent is described other self-expanding stent configurations are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

Each self-expanding stent preferably comprises intersecting stent members, which are preferably helical braided to form a tubular stent. An exemplary braided stent comprises a first set of stent members wound in a first helical direction and a second set of stent members wound in a second, opposite helical direction, forming a plurality of intersections. The first and second sets of stent members may be continuous stent members with reversing axial direction at the ends of male and female components. These stent members may be wire, such as nitinol or stainless steel, or may comprise polymer or any other stent material known in the art. Shape memory material such as nitinol, however, is preferred.

An eversible stent extension 21 extends from the stent in the male component 20. Eversible stent extension 21 is preferably formed by continuation of the braided stent members forming the self-expanding stent of male component 20. Eversible stent extension 21 is configured to be eversed or pivoted back over the self-expanding stent, and held in this eversed position by a delivery sheath 25 (FIG. 3). Eversible stent extension 21 is next deployed within the female component 30, the delivery sheath 25 is withdrawn, and the eversible stent extension 21 in an eversed position locks the modular stent-graft components together. The modular stent components are connected by friction between the outer surface of the male component 20 and the inner surface of the female component 30. This friction is caused by outward force exerted by the self-expanding stent of the male component and inward force exerted due to the hoop strength of the female component and/or the wall of the body lumen.

Eversible stent extension 21 is pivoted outwardly and back over the male component 20, as shown in FIG. 3. Each stent member which continues into the eversible stent extension is bent at a circumferential series of locations around the stent of male component 20 to everse the eversible stent extension 21. To facilitate this eversion, eversible stent extension 21 may be outwardly flared from the diameter of the stent in male component 20 to create a greater torsional force on the stent members. Also, eversible extension 21 is preferably uncovered. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, eversible stent extension 21 is eversed by bending it back over the stent of male component 20. After eversible extension 21 is eversed, it is introduced into a delivery sheath 25 in an eversed configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, for endoluminal delivery into a body lumen.

As shown in FIG. 3, where male component 20 is a stent-graft, eversible extension 21 is preferably eversed at the end of covering 24. The end of covering 24 is preferably stitched or lashed to the stent members circumferentially around the stent, such as with a continuous filament 22. The continuous filament may be knotted around intersecting stent members. The filament may be a suture or a wire, or other material having sufficient flexibility for lashing and knotting and sufficient strength to attach a graft on a stent.

Referring now to FIG. 4, delivery sheath 25 is extended into female component 30, with male component radially constrained within the delivery sheath 25 and eversible stent extension 21 restrained by delivery sheath 25 in an eversed configuration. When male component 20 is at the desired location (extending into female component 30), delivery sheath 25 is axially withdrawn along male component 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the exposed portion of male component 20 expands outwardly against the inner surface of female component 30. The location of male component 20 may be determined using, for example, radiography or the like. Delivery sheath 25 is withdrawn from male component 20 until the full length of male component 20 is free from delivery sheath 25, and male component is allowed to self-expand along its entire length, with eversible stent extension 21 still eversed over covering 24.

FIG. 5 shows a connected modular stent-graft according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The proximal end of male component 20 is placed within the iliac stub 33 of female component 30 with eversible extension 21 eversed. The outward forces exerted by the self-expanding stent and by the eversible extension trying to return to a non-eversed configuration lock the male component 20 inside the female component 30.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention. 

What is claimed:
 1. A locking mechanism for use in a modular self-expanding stent system having a male stent component configured to be deployed partially within a lumen of a female stent component; said locking mechanism comprising an eversible stent extension extending from said male stent component and deployable within said female stent component in an eversed configuration to lock said male stent component to said female stent component.
 2. The locking mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a covering attached to said modular stent components to form a modular stent-graft.
 3. The locking mechanism of claim 2 wherein said modular stent-graft is configured for deployment in an abdominal aorta, spanning the aortic bifurcation.
 4. The locking mechanism of claim 1 wherein said eversible stent extension is outwardly flared.
 5. The locking mechanism of claim 1 wherein said male stent component comprises one or more braided filaments.
 6. The locking mechanism of claim 5 wherein said eversible extension is formed by continued braiding of one or more of said braided filaments.
 7. The locking mechanism of claim 6 wherein a covering is lashed to said male stent to former a stent-graft and said eversible extension extends beyond said covering.
 8. The locking mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a delivery sheath used to temporarily hold said eversible stent extension in said eversed configuration. 